Yarn trapping mechanism for circular knitting machines



G. PALMER YARN TRAPPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES s Sheets-Sheet} Filed March 25, 1949 Inve7l0r Q4 19 727 War By f Oct. 24, 1950 PALMER YARN TRAPPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1949 SSMets-Sheet 2 Inventqr ab/ye zz/mer Oct. 24, 1950 G. PALMER 25275039- YARN TRAPPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1949 3 Sheets+Sheet 3 Age/1T.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 YARN TRAPPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES George Palmer, Leicester, England, assignor to G. Stibbe & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a

British company Application March 25, 1949, Serial No. 83,436 In Great Britain August 6, 1946 8 Claims.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines, and concerns mechanism employed in such machines for trapping yarns upon withdrawal from knitting.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, compact and eflicient yarn trapping unit as will be hereinafter described.

The improvement constituting the invention is designed for application principally to machines wherein yarns are supplied from a plurality of separate feeding locations, as, for example, in a machine with two or more feeders respectively supplying a main yarn or yarns, and an auxiliary yarn or yarns which, in some cases, may contrast with the main yarn or yarns as regards count, material, quality, colour, or mixture, separately or in combination.

Hitherto it has been customary to provide each feeder with its own trapping unit including a cutter, and associated controlling connections which,

of course, introduces complications and adds to the cost of production.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, compact and eflicient yarn trapping unit capable of dealing with yarns from, at least, two feeders, with consequent simplification of the machine, commensurate reduction of costs of production, and less likelihood of trouble.

Accordingly the invention consists of a yarn trapping unit adapted for use in conjunction with two feeders and wherein there are a pair of juxtaposed jaws constituting one trapper for reception of a yarn or yarns from one feederyand one of the pair also serves in conjunction with another member to form a trapper to receive a yarn or yarns from another feeder.

With a trapping unit of the character aforesaid it is also possible to provide a common cutter.

The invention includes as a feature a yarn trapping unit comprising a pair of jaws and a further member as aforesaid, wherein the said jaws are connected suchwise as to be capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing one trapper, and for movement conjointly to open and close the other trapper.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a particular illustrative embodiment of the improved yarn trapping unit combined with a cutting device and applicable to a circular plain knitting machine with two feeders for producing seamless hosiery will now be described with reference to the-accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the said unit,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same showing also the latch ring of the knitting machine and the yarn guides at the two feeders,

Figure 3 is a side view of the unit as seen in the direction of the arrow A in Figure 2, showing both trappers open,

Figure 4 is a detail side view of the trappers, with the upper trapper closed and the lower trapper open,

Figure 5 is a side view of the unit as seen in the direction of the arrow B in Figure 2, and

Figure 6 is a detail transverse sectional view taken through the juxtaposed trapping members.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

Referring to' the drawings it will be seen that the trapping unit comprises two trappers one constitutedby a pair of flat jaws l and 2 horizontally disposed in superimposed edgewise relation and the other comprising the lower, 2, of the two jaws and a complementary fixed part consisting of a plate 3 of semi-circular form also horizontally disposed. The portion of the plate 3- immediately beneath the lower jaw 2 is recessed, at 4 as depicted in Figures 3, 4 and 6 to receive a pad 5 of resilient material. The lower edge of the upper jaw l isfaced with the same material. The upper jaw I is pivoted at 6, between its ends, on a lug I attached to the plate 3 and the low-er jaw '2 is pivotally connected at 8, between its ends, to a bifurcated lug 9 depending from the lower edge of the upper jaw I (see Fig- Lures 1, 3 and 4) Each of the jaws is mitered or rounded at one end to facilitate'entrance of the yarns into the respective trappers. At the opposite, i. e. tail, ends one or each of the jaws is shaped to provide a space for accommodating an interposed compression spring 10 whereby the jaws I and 2 are normally held closed, and intermediate of this spring and the pivot 6 a tension spring I! is attached at one end to the upper jaw l and anchored at its opposite end to a bracket I2 to which the plate 3 is also fixed. This bracket I2 is attached by means of screws 13 to the latch ring M of the machine. By reason of this construction and arrangement initial pressure on the spring loaded tail end of the jaw 1 moves both jaws to open the lower trapper in the manner illustrated in Figure l, and further pressure operates the upper jaw l to open the upper trapper (see Figure 3 Consequently either or both of the trappers can be opened preparatory to receivpreparatory to receiving yarn or withdrawal from knitting. Thus when yarn from either feeder is introduced to the needles the trappers remain.

closed so that the ingoing yarn is pulled out of its trapper. The upper jaw I is preferably provided, as shown, with a shoulder or catch I 5 to prevent yarn being pulled from the upper trapper when yarn held by the lower trapper is pulled out as aforesaid, in the case of knitting from one feeder while the other is quiescent. v

The trappers are controlled from the controlling mechanism of the machine by connections including a lever I6 pivoted at I! on the bracket I2 and a device for exerting pressure on the upper jaw I, this device conveniently consisting of a link I8 connected to the lever I6 and fitted with a pin l9 carrying a screw 20 for contact with the upper edge of the upper jaw I, so that by adjustment of the screw the movements of the jaws I and 2 can be precisely regulated.

For severing yarn following reception in the trapping unit a cutting device common to both trappers is provided. Conveniently, and as shown in Figures 2, 5 and 6, the cutter consists of scissor elements 2I and 22, the element 2! being pivoted at 23 and the other element 22 being fixed on the plate 3 substantially parallel with the trapper jaws i and 2 but on the opposite side of the lug I on which the jaws are mounted. The elements 2I and 22 are pressed together yieldingly by a small fiat spring 24. The pivoted element 2I is connected to the link I 8 so that the said element is operated conjointly with the trapper jaws I and 2.

Attached to the bracket I2 by a screw 25 is an element 26 which is set somewhat obliquely with respect to the trapper jaws I and 2, between the latter and the scissor elements 2| and 22, the outer end of the said element being bevelled or inclined at 2'! to provide a deflector for guiding withdrawn yarns into the cutter at appropriate times.

The whole provides a simple and. compact unit advantageously applicable, as hereinbefore mentioned, to a circular plain knitting machine with two feeders 28 and 29 for producing seamless hosiery, with the plate 3 concentric with the needles and the trapping jaws I and 2 and scissors disposed within and parallel to a diameter of the needle circle, as will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 2.

The lower trapper may, as shown in Figure 2, be used for yarns y supplied and fed through guides 30 at the main feeder 28 and the other for yarns y supplied and fed through guides 3| at the auxiliary feeder 29, or vice versa, as convenient.

The plate 3 is preferably formed with chordal slots 32 and 33 respectively for the reception of a main yarn and a splicing yarn during circular knitting and into which the yarns are guided by the edge of the plate so that they extend between the ends of the slots and the respective feeders during the knitting of Cuban heels (before reciprocating knitting), foot bottoms and other spliced areas, whereby twisting or other entanglement of one yarn with the other is prevented.

What I claim then is:

1. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising, in combination, a fixed horizontal plate having thereon a lug, a horizontally disposed jaw pivoted between its ends on the said lug, the said jaw having a portion depending from its lower edge, and a second jaw which is disposed beneath the first jaw and is pivotally connected between its ends to the said depending portion of the first jaw, the two jaws constituting a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder and being capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing this trapper, and the lower of the two jaws being adapted, upon conjoint movement of the jaws, to function in conjunction with the fixed plate to provide a second trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder.

2. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising, in combination, a bracket, a horizontal plate which is fixed to said bracket and has thereon a lug, a horizontally disposed jaw pivoted between its ends on the said lug, the said jaw having a portion depending from its lower edge, a second jaw which is disposed beneath the.

, to the aforesaid bracket, the two jaws constituting a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder and being capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing this trapper, and the lower of the two jaws being up adapted, upon movement of the jaws together, to

function in conjunction with the fixed plate to provide a second trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder.

3. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising, in combination, a fixed horizontal plate having thereon a lug, a horizontally disposed jaw pivoted between its ends on the said lug, the said jaw having a portion depending from its lower edge, a second jaw which is disposed beneath the first jaw and is pivotally connected between its ends to the said depending portion of the first jaw, the two jaws constituting a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder and being capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing this trapper, and the lower of the two jaws being adapted, upon conjoint movement of the jaws, to function in conjunction with the fixed plate to provide a second trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, and connections for controlling the trappers, said connections including a pivoted lever and a device associated therewith for exerting pressure on the upper jaw.

4. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising, in combination, a fixed horizontal plate having thereon a lug, a horizontally disposed jaw pivoted between its ends on the said lug, the said jaw having a portion depending from its lower edge, a second jaw which is disposed beneath the first jaw and is pivotally connected between its ends to the said depending portion of the first jaw, the two jaws constituting a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder and being capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing this trapper, and the lower of the two jaws being adapted, upon conjoint movement of the jaws, to function in conjunction with the fixed plate to provide a second trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, and a single cutting device common to both trappers, said device consisting of scissor elements, one pivoted and the other fixed on the aforesaid plate substantially parallel with the jaws but on the opposite side of the lug to that on which the jaws are mounted.

5. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising, in combination, a fixed horizontal plate having thereon a lug, a horizontally disposed jaw pivoted between its ends on the said lug, the said jaw having a portion depending from its lower edge, a second jaw which is disposed beneath the first jaw and is pivotally connected between its ends to the said depending portion of the first jaw, the two jaws constitut ing a trapper for reception of at least on yarn from one feeder and being capable of movement relatively to each other for opening and closing this trapper, and the lower of the two jaws being adapted, upon conjoint movement of the jaws, to function in conjunction with the fixed plate to provide a second trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, connections for controlling the trappers, said connections including a pivoted lever, a link connected to the lever, a pin fitted to the said link, and a screw which is carried by the pin and arranged for contact with the upper edge of the upper jaw, and a single cutting device common to both trappers, said device consisting of scissor elements, one pivoted and connected with the aforesaid link so that it is operated conjointly with the trapper jaws and the other fixed on the plate substantially parallel with the jaws but on the opposite side of the lug to that on which the jaws are mounted.

6. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising an upper jaw provided with a catch, a lower jaw, said two jaws being horizontally disposed in superimposed edgewise relation and together constituting a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder, and a fixed plate which is horizontally disposed beneath and adapted to function in conjunction with the said lowor jaw to provide a second and lower trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, theaforesaid catch with which the upper jaw is provided serving to prevent yarn being pulled from the up er trapper when yarn held by the lower trapper is pulled out.

7. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising a pair of jaws which are horizontally disposed in superimposed edgewise relation and together constitute a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder, a fixed plate which is horizontally disposed beneath and adapted to function in conjunction with the lower of the said two jaws to provide a second and lower trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, and connections for controlling the trappers, said connections including a pivoted lever and a link which is connected to the said lever and fitted with a pin carrying a screw for contact with the upper edge of the upper jaw for the purpose of exerting pressure on the latter.

8. For use in conjunction with two feeders of a circular knitting machine, a yarn trapping unit comprising a pair of jaws which are horizontally disposed in superimposed edgewise relation and together constitute a trapper for reception of at least one yarn from one feeder, and a fixed plate which is horizontally disposed beneath and adapted to function in conjunction with the lower of the said two jaws to provide a second and lower trapper to receive yarn from the other feeder, said plate being of semi-circular form and formed with chordal slots respectively for the reception of a main yarn and a splicing yarn during circular knitting and into which the said yarns are guided by the edge of the plate so that they extend between the ends of the slots and the respective feeders during the knitting of spliced areas, whereby twisting or other entanglement of one yarn with the other is prevented.

GEORGE PALMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,070,458 Steere Feb. 9, 1937 2,137,362 Smith et a1 Nov. 22, 1938 2,276,214 Lawson et a1 Mar. 10, 1942 

